JCB DieselMax ready to roll

World record attempt is very soon now

By PH Staff / Wednesday, 12 July 2006 / Loading comments

DieselMax at the FoS

The JCB DieselMax race car is almost ready to roll after an intensive build programme, according to JCB.

With fewer than two months remaining before the DieselMax attempts to break the land speed record for diesel-powered cars, the team is putting the finishing touches to an intensive build programme.

Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green -- the fastest man on Earth -- the JCB streamliner will be tested at RAF Wittering near Peterborough in advance of the team's departure to the US. And there is only one JCB DieselMax so the prototype is also the race car that will make the record bid -- it was at the Festival of Speed this weekend (see pic).

It has taken a huge effort to build the car as all of the parts have been specifically designed and developed for the JCB machine in this high speed project.

"We know everything fits together because we have already built the car once and then taken it apart," said JCB DieselMax project chief engineer John Piper. "Now in this final phase we're just finishing off little details like brackets and lugs. The engines are mated to their gearboxes and are ready to drop into the chassis. It may sound like a big job, but we know the car inside out so it'll be straightforward.

"Each JCB powertrain is lowered from above into the chassis. Once they're bolted in, large one-piece machined aluminium cross-members are bolted to the chassis and from these are hung the giant two-stage turbochargers. Each weighs 50Kg and will run at about 900 degree C," said Piper.

For the shakedown runs at RAF Wittering and during Bonneville Speedweek (12 - 18 August) the team intends to use a pair of the JCB444 LSR race engines which have been built and developed by Ricardo. The team will then spend a few days installing fresh engines and preparing the car ready for an assault on the official world diesel land speed record.

"Bonneville is a huge challenge," said engineering and project director Dr. Tim Leverton. "You only get one shot. Success is all down to preparation and attention to every minute detail. Every component on the JCB DieselMax has been thoroughly tested. The JCB444 LSR race engines have been run-in at Ricardo Engineering's test cells and the bespoke six-speed gearboxes tested on special transmission rigs."

JCB reckoned the DieselMax technical team's pedigree and experience is key. "We were talking among ourselves the other day," said Piper, "and worked out that between us we have 14 World Championships in Formula One and sportscar racing under our belts."

The JCB DieselMax land speed record attempt will take place on 21 August 2006 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA.